Is there such a thing as green pet burial?

You can honor your dearly departed pet without harming the environment or spending a fortune.

Pet burial always brings up that creepy "Pet Sematary" movie, but Stephen King films and reanimated rodents aside, ecologically sensitive burial methods are rising in popularity, thanks much in part to the shaky economic climate. For budget-conscious families and green-minded mourners alike, cremation has emerged as an especially attractive alternative to old-fashioned burials that cost an arm and leg and are extremely resource intensive — those resources being toxic embalming chemicals like formaldehyde, and concrete, steel and timber. Then, of course, there’s the land itself and the copious amount of water and landscaping chemicals needed to keep the carefully manicured plot where your great Aunt Enid is interred looking its best. Although cremation, in the end, is greener than traditional $4,000 metal casket-in-the-ground burials, it isn’t without environmental minuses, specifically in terms of energy use and emissions.

When it comes to sending a pet off into the great beyond, the options — and their eco-drawbacks — are similar: burial in a pet cemetery — or zoological necropolis, if you will — or more commonly, cremation. There’s also the bury-in-the-yard option, although you may want to check in with any local ordinances that may prohibit this if you plan on interring anything larger than a hamster, canary or goldfish. If you go this route, you should also probably not plan on moving anytime in the near future. And then there’s freeze-dry taxidermy for those who really can’t stand the thought of parting with their furry companion.

There is a natural pet burial movement, although it’s a relatively small one. Founded in 2010 by Eric Greene, the Green Pet-Burial Society is a nonprofit organization that offers “support for a gentle return” and seems to be the go-to resource for those curious about pet burials where eco-friendly/biodegradable containers, shrouds and unadorned pine boxes placed in natural settings are favored over plastic boxes and immaculately landscaped pet cemeteries. The Green Pet-Burial Society maintains a list of participating providers including green cemeteries like Dust to Dust in Swansea, S.C., and the Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve in Glendale, Fla., that allow pet remains to be buried in family plots.

So there you have it — the small but growing green pet burial movement. Not to be a Donald Downer, but if you have the chance, I’d also check out my fellow columnist Morieka Johnson’s advice on pet estate planning (yes, estate planning … there’s quite a few wealthy animal heirs out there) and grieving. In the meantime, enjoy frolicking with your kitties and try to, for your boyfriend’s sake, have sweet dreams, free of Zelda from “Pet Sematary.”